Little Caesar

How's that?

Gotta hand it to you, Rico. The old bean's working all the time.

- What'll it be, gents? - Spaghetti and coffee for two.

All right, sir.

- What's that gotta do with the price of eggs? - Ah, plenty.

Diamond Pete Montana.

He don't have to waste his time on cheap gas stations.

He's somebody. He's in the big town doing things in a big way.

And look at us. Just a couple of nobodies, nothing.

Is that what you want, Rico? A party like that for you?

"Caesar Enrico Bandello.

Honored by his friends."

I could do all the things that fella does and more.

Only I never got my chance. And what's there to be afraid of?

When I get in a tight spot, I shoot my way out of it. Why, sure.

Shoot first and argue aftervvards.

You know, this game ain't for guys that's soft.

Yeah, there's money in the big town, all right.

And the women. Good times, something doing all the time.

Exciting things, you know.

Gee.

The clothes I could wear.

And then I'd quit, Rico.

I'd go back to dancing, like I used to before I met you.

I don't know. I ain't made for this sort of thing.

Dancing

That's what I wanna do.

Dancing?

Women?

And where do they get you? I don't want no dancing.

I'm figuring on making other people dance.

- Oh, I ain't forgetting about the money. - Money's okay, but it ain't everything.

Be somebody. Look hard at a bunch of guys and know they'll do anything you tell them.

Have your own way or nothing. Be somebody.

- You'll get there, Rico. - Yeah.

- You'll show them. - You know...

...this was our last stand in this burg. We're pulling out.

- Where are we going? - East.

Where things break big.

So I beat it east, like I told you.

That's all there is to it.

I wanna run with your mob, if you'll let me. What do you say?

You won't be sorry for letting me in. I'll do anything you say. I ain't afraid of nothing.

You think you're a hard guy?

There's nothing soft about me. Nothing yellow. I don't quit.

- You got an idea you're good, huh? - Give me a chance to show you.

- What do you know about me? - Oh, I heard plenty.

How you run things this end of town.

About this here Club Palermo, how it's your front. I got told enough.

- I guess you're good with a rod too, huh? - Quick with it and sure.

Well, that don't go around here. That's old stuff. This ain't the sticks.

Yeah, I get you.

All right. You stick around.

But, remember, I'm the boss. And I give all the orders.

And when we split, we split my way.

- And no squawks. You get me? - Yeah, sure, Mr. Vettori.

- All right, come on in, meet the boys. - Sure.

Oh, they're 100 percent, all right. Every one of them.

There's Tony Passa. Can drive a car better than any mug in the town.

Otero. He's little, but he's the goods, all right.

Bat Carilla.

Killer Peppi.

Kid Bean.

And this one here, Scabby. What a smart guy he is.

Boys.

Come on, Tony. Wake up.

I want you to meet a new guy what's gonna be with us.

This is, uh...

_Uh_ - Caesar Enrico Bandello.

Oh, Little Caesar, huh?

Yeah, sure.

Where did you get the new dancer, DeVoss?

Olga brought him around a few days ago.

Not bad.

- All right. - I'll say he is.

Well, I got hold of a real dancer for a partner, didn't I, Mr. Devoss?

He's an elegant dancer. We'll panic them after a few rehearsals.

Say, you're not trying to sell him to me, are you, Olga? Ha-ha-ha.

Well, young fella, I guess 100 a week ought to buy you.

That's more than I generally start with.

That's swell with me, even though it don't buy no limousines.

Gee, thanks, Mr. Devoss. You'll never be sorry for this.

Come, Joey.

So it's you and me from now on.

Well, I'm glad.

And I'm not ashamed to tell you.

I guess you know by this time how I feel about you.

That's all right with you, isn't it?

Or have you got another girl? A steady, I mean.

RAUGHS]

Hundreds of them, sure. Only...

Only, what's the difference?

This is gonna be real.

- We'll make it mean something. - Yeah, Joey, let's.

Because I need somebody. Somebody like you.

Awful bad.

- You believe me, Olga? - I want to believe you.

What's that?

What you got there, Joe?

What are you doing with that?

Can't you forget you've seen it?

It won't make no difference. Not between us, Olga.

Heh-heh, don't worry, baby.

It's just a little good-luck charm I carry around with me.

Is that your racket?

Maybe.

I suppose I got no right to ask you, Joe.

But now...

Now that we got an understanding.

Couldn't you leave it?

No.

I suppose I haven't got the right.

What would be the good of you asking, kid?

Once in a gang...

- You know the rest. - I don't want to know.

Only maybe...

Maybe it could be different this time.

If we try.

I've never seen the guy that could get away with it yet.

Black. Seven.

Sam Vettori is still waiting for you in your office.

All right, I guess I'll have to see him.

I wonder what he wants here.

Hey, Ritz.

You'd better stick with me. I'll need you in there.

- That Sam Vettori's a no-good lug. - You said it, boss.

Better let me go first.

Cut that.

Hello, Arnie.

Surprised to see me in your swell joint?

Maybe I won't be after you tell me what you want here.

Oh, I'll tell you, all right.

Diamond Pete asked me to come up. He's coming up too.

- Pete Montana? - That's who.

Well, if Pete wants you here, it's got to be all right with me.

- Hello, Mr. Montana. - Hello.

Hello.

- Hello, Arnie. - Hello, how are you?

- Hello, Vettori. - Hello, boss.

Cigar?

Thanks.

Thanks, Arnie.

Sit down, boys. I got something to tell you.

A message from the Big Boy.

Now, listen. Here's the lowdown.

- The Big Boy says-- - Just a minute, boss.

Hey, you.

Nobody asked you to be butting in here, did they?

- Screw, mug. - You ain't giving me orders.

- You're a fresh guy, huh? - Take it easy, Rico.

You go out there and wait for me.

Jake with me, boss.

Now, listen, boys. Watch this guy McClure...

...what's head of the new crime commission.

He's putting the screws on, and make no mistake about him.

Now, the Big Boy wants me to tell you guys...

...to put the chains on your gorillas for the next few months.

Because if any of them go too far, it'll be just too bad.

Ah, heh.

I've never seen nobody the Big Boy couldn't get to.

He can fix anything. That's why he's the Big Boy.

This bird McClure will be pie for him.

- He'll twist him around his little finger. - Don't kid yourself.

Nobody's squaring nothing with McClure. Not even the Big Boy.

Small jobs, that's different.

We could spring guys for them. Butshoofing?

No, sir.

It's guys like this torpedo of yours that cause all the trouble.

Who, Rico? Heh-heh.

He's all right. He's a little quick on the trigger, but that's because he's new.

Yeah? Well, it's us that'll swing for him...

...if he shoots at the wrong time.

Now, remember what I told you. Come on. So long.

And you.

You take it easy with that cannon of yours.

Did you hear me?

Yes, Mr. Montana.

- Good night. - Good night.

- Good night. - Good night.

Do yourself a favor, will you, Rico?

Leave your gat home on the piano the next job you pull.

Yeah, park it next to your milk bottle.

Hey. Run your own mob, Arnie. I'll take care of mine.

Yeah, I'll park it.

I don't need no cannon to take care of guys like you, Mr. Lorch.

Yeah, we gotta be careful.

Little Arnie's interested in this here nightclub.

- If it ever gets out who pulled the job-- - They'll never get wise to us.

They're careless, but they've never been tapped.

Yeah, but I don't like the whole business.

Neither do I, Sam. Honest, I don't.

I couldn't sleep last night. I was up worried.

I don't want to take any chances. Not now the way they're closing down on us.

What's the matter, Tony, getting yellow?

No, but, jeez, none of us wanna hang, do we?

You'd like to quit, wouldn't you? You'd like to run out on us.

- You're yellow, you dirty-- - Wait a minute, Rico.

Where do you get that yellow stuff?

You want to know who's yellow, I'll tell you.

Joe Massara, your pal.